8 Father's Day ideas the Mamamia team have on rotation, because they're that good.

My dad isn't a regular dad. He's a chocolate lover who also happens to be a dad.        

I'm sure I'm not alone with that. Loving chocolate just seems to be something that intrinsically links all dads together.  

With Father's Day just around the corner (where has this year gone pls?!), I'm grateful that my dad and I have an unspoken agreement about what I buy him each year. 

This means that come September, I don't have to frantically scroll to find the perfect gift for him. We already know exactly what's going to go down.

I'll buy him his favourite chocolates, he's going to open them straight away, pop one in his mouth and then say "Does anyone want any?" and then we'll eat the lot.

If your dad/grandfather/uncle/father-in-law/male-identifying co-parent also loves a bit of choccie then read on to see what the Mamamia team swear by when it comes to gifting on Father's Day. From chocolate goodie bags to coffee kits and gin-making courses, here's what we all have on rotation every year, because the ideas are that good.

Darrell Lea Bullets – Maddie's pick

Image: Darrell Lea. 

My Dad has the biggest sweet tooth, whether it be ice cream, chocolate, lollies, you name it. I have the fondest memories of 24 nights (that Kiefer Sutherland TV show we were all obsessed with), with Dad and my siblings, where we'd stock up on our favourite movie snacks (all sweet, of course) and settle in for the marathons of all marathons. 

(Now if you haven't ever watched the show 24, what are you even doing? Binge that immediately.)

Dad's all-time favourite 24 snack was liquorice bullets. And they had to be Darrell Lea otherwise he didn't want to know about them. We'd all squeeze in on the couch and settle in for a night of snacking and watching, and the bullets were always the first to go because we'd keep taxing Dad's own stash. 

Now: Father's Day. My Dad is almost impossible to buy for. He's the type of person that will actually tell you if he doesn't like your gift, so selecting the perfect gift can be... challenging. Every Father's Day season the siblings and I will fire up the group chat and discuss what on earth to get the man that has it all. 

It was around 2 years ago when we were throwing ideas around and it came to us. Why not get him a ridiculous number of his beloved Darrell Lea Milk Chocolate Liquorice Bullets and settle in for a 24 re-watch? A priceless gift really, especially the gift of our company. So that's exactly what we did and he loved it. So every year now, it's our Father's Day tradition.

He is (and we all are) obsessed with Darrell Lea Milk Chocolate Liquorice Bullets as they have such a generous layer of creamy milk chocolate on the outside and then the chewiest, softest centre full of liquorice (natural Australian molasses: YUM). I always lick off the chocolate first (just me?!).

Flowers – Lily's pick

Image: Lvly. 

I try to buy something personal for the men in my life for Father's Day, so I take notes throughout the year when he's talking about stuff he's interested in or hobbies he'd always loved. My dad loves hiking and running on hikes (this doesn't run in the family) so last year we bought him a running water backpack he'd talked about. Anything for his hiking hobby is a foolproof go-to we always have on rotation!

Other than that I also like to get flowers: my dad is a landscaper and loves them, and I know he really appreciates when he gets them because it's not often people think to give men flowers!

Dad's Bag – Eleanor's pick (me!)

Image: Darrell Lea. 

As I mentioned, my dad is a complete chocolate fiend. He loves it so much that he has it on the top shelf of the pantry so nobody else can get into his collection. 

He loves chocolate in all forms, he doesn't discriminate. He loves the lot of it. That's why every year I get him the Darrell Lea Dad's Bag which is basically like an Easter Showbag full of Darrell Lea's yummiest goodies, ready for gifting on Father's Day. And everyone loves showbags, no matter what age. 

It takes the guesswork out of choosing the perfect selection. You can pick one up from IGA, Australia Post or Catch.com.au, and you know that it's going to be a winner. I've given it to him for years. 

There were a few dark years where he tried to pretend he just wanted socks and golf balls, but deep down he and I both knew what he really wanted. And who am I to deny him of that? So we'd run out and get him a late Darrell Lea Dad's Bag for Father's Day anyway. And thus the chocolate tradition continued. 

The Dad's Bag has basically been expertly curated to have all the things that they could possibly want, but let's be honest we all end up eating it because dads can be generous and want their kids to be happy too.

Image: Darrell Lea. 

It includes the round-up of Darrell Lea Hall of Famers: bags of Batch 37 Original Liquorice (or known as in our family: the most elite liquorice ever), milk chocolate Big Orange Balls, a Liquorice Milk Block (the ultimate dad flavour duo: choc and liquorice), a Rocklea Road Block, Liquorice Allsorts and Life Savers Fruit Tingles. So many delicious things!

I found out too that Darrell Lea makes more than 40,000km of liquorice a year (enough to wrap around the earth) which blows me away. My dad would eat a good few kilometres of that number, for sure!

It's a classic Father's Day crowd pleaser and is a thoughtful gift that's so easy to execute. Winning.

Shakespeare 'insult' mug – Sophia's pick

Image: NYPL. 

I'm currently working remotely in New York and this is the first Father's Day I'm spending away from my dad. I want to make sure he knows I'm thinking of him on the day. 

Every year, the gifts that are best received by him are the ones based on an inside joke, a follow on from a previous year's gift, or to replace something he's broken or misplaced through the year that (despite breaking or losing it) he actually did love. This year, I'm shipping him The Shakespeare 'insult' mug from New York Public Library because he broke the last one I gave him. I think it's a small but thoughtful gesture.

He loves it because it's full of wit and poetry. The best insult I think is "Thou art a boil, a plague sore."

Gin-making course – Emmeline's pick

Image: Four Pillars. 

I always get my dad something we can do together because he does the same for me, and it's so nice spending time together, especially when we don't live together anymore. However, because of lockdown, I'm going to have to give him a voucher instead for an experience we can hopefully do in the near future. 

I'm going to get the gin making course at Four Pillars as he loves gin and I also want to learn more about it and share in his passion.

Good Day People hamper – Lucy's pick

Image: Good Day People. 

My dad says he isn't big into presents, but these hampers from Good Day People are always a hit and I still love to give him something because I know secretly he loves them. 

The quality and packaging is so beautiful and there are so many hampers to choose from; alcohol, alcohol-free, gourmet ingredients. You can really choose which one best suits you (and his tastes). He's also loved Darrell Lea Liquorice Bullets ever since I was little (when we would take turns in him eating one, and him passing me one, and so on). So a packet of them is always added to his Father's Day gift for wholesome, nostalgic purposes (and he must also still share). 

Personalised embroidery – Alycia's pick

Image: Uncle Mary Threads. 

This Father's Day because of restrictions, I probably won't be able to see my dad but want to send him something special. The best gifts to have on rotation are the ones that are sentimental, meaningful and you might want to hold onto for a long time (I must say though: my dad still loves his Darrell Lea so that's the exception to the rule). 

I came across this company called Uncle Mary Threads that turns your kids' drawings into embroidery and HOW CUTE IS THAT?! 

I'm getting my son to do a little picture for him and I can't wait to see (on FaceTime) when my dad opens it.

Tiny house escape – Caity's pick

Image: Unyoked. This Father's Day I'm going to treat my dad to one of those gift cards to stay in the wilderness, so he and my mum can escape to one of these dreamy wilderness escapes they often talk about. It's an idea so worthwhile that I know they'll love, I'll likely have it on rotation for years to come so they can have little getaways in different areas!

I think he'll really appreciate this as they never buy nice things for themselves, they never treat themselves or go on random adventures even though I know they want to. 

I might also get him one of these Remedy Kits I've seen, so I can give him a physical gift on the day as well as the voucher. It includes a coffee table book on cabins, and a pancake kit he can always take with him on the stay. Luxe!

Image: Unyoked. 

Shop the Darrell Lea range this Father's Day, available at Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Aldi, Big W and other major retailers.

Feature image: Supplied/Darrell Lea.

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